Getting Started

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

The Photographers Choice for Photographic Filters

for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture

Getting Started

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Table of contents
Whats New Installation and Access User Interface Lesson 1 - Applying a Filter Lesson 2 - Applying Filters Selectively Using Control Points Lesson 3 - Adding Multiple Filters Online Resources Contact and Support Register your Software Keyboard Shortcuts

Welcome to Color Efex Pro 4, the most powerful, fun and creative set of photographic lters available to amateur and pro photographers. Color Efex Pro will let you quickly solve image challenges, retouch portraits with ease, and extend your creativity in never-imagined directions. With unmatched versatility, quality and time savings, it offers something for everyone. Color Efex Pro is an absolutely essential part of any serious photographers toolkit. This Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of your new software.

Whats new
Filter Combinations Visual Presets and Recipes 8 Brand New Filters 10 Signicantly Updated Filters History Browser GPU Processing Multi-Core Support Improved interface and interaction controls

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Whats new

Installing Color Efex Pro 4

Windows: 1. Close all open applications. 2. Insert the Color Efex Pro 4 CD, or locate and double-click on the downloaded installer. 3. Select the appropriate language to continue. 4. When the installer window appears, click the Next button within the installer interface. 5. Accept the license agreement. 6. Click the Next button to accept the installation path. It is recommended to install the software to the default path, as the software will automatically create the appropriate folders and links for each of the host applications found in the next step. 7. A list of the found compatible host applications will be displayed, click Install to complete the installation process. 8. Click Finish to close the installer window. Macintosh: 1. Close all open applications. 2. Insert the Color Efex Pro 4 CD and double-click on the installer icon and select the appropriate language, or double-click on the downloaded DMG le and then double-click on the installer. 3. When the installer window appears, click the Continue button within the installer interface. 4. Click Agree to accept the license agreement. 5. The installer will display all compatible host applications that were located. Click Continue and then Install on the following screen to begin installation. 6. Click Close to close the installer window.

Accessing Color Efex Pro 4

Photoshop 1. Launch Photoshop. 2. Open an image that you would like to convert to enhance. 3. Navigate to Filter > Nik Software > Color Efex Pro 4. Lightroom 1. Launch Lightroom. 2. Select the image(s) that you would like to convert to enhance. 3. Navigate to Photo > Edit In > Color Efex Pro 4. Aperture 1. Launch Aperture. 2. Select the image(s) that you would like to convert to enhance. 3. Navigate to Photo > Edit with Plug-in > Color Efex Pro 4.

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Installation and Access

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Filters Categories

Filters List

Highlight & Shadow Protection Control Points Add Filter

Loupe & Histogram

Recipes History Browser

Photograph 2011 Bill Pekala

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

User Interface

Applying a Filter

LESSON 1

Color Efex Pro 4 provides an unprecedented range of control contained within 55 unique lters. Each lter is designed to provide you a multitude of possibilities to enhance your photos. With the new presets found within Color Efex Pro 4, its now easier than ever to experiment and nd the perfect look for your photo. In this image, the new Dark Contrasts lter can be used to add depth and interest into this image, drawing even more attention to the bride.

Before

After

Photograph 2011 Tom Muoz

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Applying a Filter

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Step 1. Immediately after opening the image in Color Efex Pro 4, ensure the lter list is displayed after clicking on the FILTERLIST header on the left-hand side. Step 2. To help you nd a lter more quickly, Color Efex Pro 4 has eight different lter categories based on photographic style. Select a category to display lters recommended for that particular photographic style. You can add lters into the Favorites category by clicking on the star next to your favorite lters name. This way, you can make your own category of your most frequently used lters.

Step 3. To see the available presets for any given lter, click on the View Presets button displayed while hovering over a lters name. The Filter List will slide to the left and the available presets will slide into view. Youll see your photo with different settings applied to it, giving you an idea of the range of possibilities found within that lter.

Step 4. Click on one of the available presets to apply that effect to your image. If you dont like any of the options displayed within the current lter, click on the Up or Down arrows to go to the previous or next lter in the selected category.

Lesson 1
6

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Applying a Filter

Step 5. After selecting a preset, adjust the sliders to your preference. For this particular image, a high Dark Detail Extractor value was used to enhance the details as much as possible. The Dark Detail Extractor control within Dark Contrasts not only enhances details throughout the image, but also amplies the dark contrasts.

Step 6. After youve created the result that you want, click OK or SAVE to process your image and return to your image editor.

Applying a Filter

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Lesson 1
7

LESSON 2

Applying Filters Selectively Using Control Points

Applying a lter selectively ensures that you can balance the right color, light, and texture within an image to draw the eye exactly where you want it to go. With Color Efex Pro 4, these powerful edits are easy to perform using control points powered by U Point technology. U Point makes it possible for you to click on an object or area and automatically create a powerful and precise selection, almost instantly. Multiple control points can be used in concert with one-another to create complex selections with only a few clicks.

Before

After

Photograph 2011 Janice Wendt

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Applying Filters Selectively Using Control Points

Step 1. Select the lter to be applied to your photo. In this photo, the updated Tonal Contrast lter was used to bring out the details in the sky, shoreline, and water.

Step 2. To achieve this effect, the Balanced Contrast Type was used with a high level of the effect applied to the Highlights and Midtones, and a medium amount of the effect applied to the Shadows. Step 3. When working with Control Points, you should rst determine if you want to add the effect to only a part of the image, or if you want to remove the effect from only a part of the image. If you want to add the effect to only a part of the image, start with the + Control Point. If you want to remove the effect from only a part of the image, start with the Control Point. In this image, the effect is too strong on the dark rocks on the shoreline. Therefore, a Control Point is used to remove the effect only from the dark rocks. To ensure a uniform selection, a second Control Point is added.

Applying Filters Selectively Using Control Points

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Lesson 2
9

After adding a control point, the opacity of that control point can be adjusted to bring a portion of the effect back to the selected area.

LESSON 3

Adding Multiple Filters

One of the biggest improvements to Color Efex Pro 4 is the ability to add multiple lters to an image. Many times, an image can benet from a series of lters being applied to it, and doing this within a single lter session not only provides a more efcient workow, but also provides more control and experimentation possibilities. In this image, three separate lters were applied to draw attention to the dewdrops on the ower and stylize the image.

Before

After

Photograph 2011 Janice Wendt

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COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Adding Multiple Filters

Step 1. To accentuate the dewdrops on the ower, the Detail Extractor lter was used.

Step 2. To ensure that the eye goes straight to the ower, some control points were used to apply the Detail Extractor lters effect only to the ower. Since only the ower should be affected, + Control Points were used to add the effect only to the ower.

Step 3. To make it possible to add another lter, you need to click on the Add Filter button. This adds a new blank lter that you can add to from the Filter List on the left-hand side. Step 4. Select the next lter from the Filter List and either use one of the available presets or adjust the sliders to create the exact look you want.

Adding Multiple Filters

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Lesson 3
11

TIP: To add another lter to an image without rst clicking on the Add Filter button, hold the Shift key while selecting a lter from the Filters section.

In this image, the Low Key lter is added next which will be used to darken the background and further draw the eye to the ower. Step 5. To prevent the Low Key lter from darkening the ower, some control points are used to remove the effect from the ower. In this case, - Control Points are used to remove the Low Key effect just from the ower.

Lesson 3
12

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Adding Multiple Filters

Step 6. To nish off the image, a third lter is added. The Image Borders lter, rst popularized in Silver Efex Pro 2, is now available in Color Efex Pro 4 for use on all images.

Step 7. If you want to save the stack of lters to be used on a later photo, click on the Save Recipe button to create a new custom Recipe. All of the lters and slider values will be saved. Due to their image-specic nature, control points are not saved within a recipe.

Step 8. Click OK to apply the lters to your image.

Adding Multiple Filters

COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Lesson 3
13

Online Resources
Getting Additional Help
Before and after examples of all of the lters as well as additional lessons and videos can be found online in the Color Efex Pro 4 help section. To view the Color Efex Pro 4 online help, visit: www.niksoftware.com/CEPHelp

Getting Additional Recipes

Color Efex Pro 4 utilizes both Presets and Recipes. Presets are created by Nik Software and make it possible to access a variety of results of the same lter quickly and easily. Recipes provide pre-dened results of one or more lters and can be created by anyone, with a certain number of Recipes being installed along with Color Efex Pro 4. You can create your own recipes, share with a friend, or download additional Recipes online. Visit the Nik Software web page to download additional recipes for Color Efex Pro 4. Start by visiting www.niksoftware.com/recipes Next, in the Product pull-down menu, select Color Efex Pro 4 to display only Color Efex Pro 4 Recipes. To install a Recipe follow these steps: 1. Click on the image of the Recipe that you would like to download. You can then see that Recipe applied to the image as well as the original image. 2. Click on the Download This Recipe button to download the Recipe. Place the Recipe in a location that you will be able to easily access. 3. Launch Color Efex Pro 4 in your image-editing application. Importing the Recipe once will make that Recipe available in all image-editing applications into which Color Efex Pro 4 is installed. 4. Within the Color Efex Pro 4 interface, click on the Import button found within the Recipes section, and locate the Recipe download. The imported Recipes will be available in the Imported category of the Recipes section.

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COLOR EFEX PRO 4

Online Resources

Contact and Support

United States Germany

Contact Nik Software, Inc. by phone at (619) 725-3150 Monday - Friday from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (PST) or online at www.niksoftware.com/support Nik Software, Inc. 7588 Metropolitan Drive San Diego, CA 92108, USA Toll Free (in US) (888) 284-4085 Phone (619) 725-3150 Fax (619) 725-3151 www.niksoftware.com

In Europe, contact Nik Software, GmbH at +49-40-47-11-35-0 Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (CET) or online at www.niksoftware.com/support Nik Software, GmbH Hammerbrookstrae 93 D-20097 Hamburg Germany Phone +49-40-47-11-35-0 Fax +49-40-47-11-35-35 www.niksoftware.com
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2011 Nik Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Nik, the Nik logo, Photography rst, and U Point are registered trademarks of Nik Software, Inc. Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro are trademarks of Nik Software, Inc. All other trade names mentioned in this guide are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Protected by one or more US Pats. 6,728,421; 6,865,300; 7,031,547; 7,602,968; 7,602,991 and other patents pending.

CEP4-QGRO1-1107